Alton man pleads guilty in heroin overdose death

EAST ST. LOUIS — An Alton man pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge of distribution of heroin resulting in death.

In a press release Friday, U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton said Glenn P. Lowers, 21, admitted at a change-of-plea hearing that he sold heroin to his friend Joshua S. Shelton on Sept. 3, 2013. Shelton’s grandfather discovered Shelton’s body at Shelton’s Alton residence a few hours after the heroin sale occurred. An autopsy established that Shelton died from injecting heroin. Shelton was 21 when he died.

Lowers’ sentence hearing is scheduled for Feb. 5. Lowers will be confined until he is sentenced. Lowers faces a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The investigation which resulted in the successful prosecution of Lowers was conducted by the Alton Police Department.